HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. --- Hampden-Sydney College Director of Athletics Richard Epperson '79 has announced the hiring of Jason Rostan '03 as the program's fourth head lacrosse coach since the program's first varsity season in 1976.
"We are excited to announce the appointment of Jason Rostan as Hampden-Sydney College's new head lacrosse coach," said Epperson. "Jason has earned this opportunity through his hard work and many years of dedicated service to our Tiger lacrosse program as our top assistant and our offensive and recruiting coordinator. We have full confidence in his ability to lead our program and to compete for the ODAC Championship annually."
Rostan has been a part of the lacrosse program for 17 years while serving as an assistant coach for the past 13. He has been extremely close to Hampden-Sydney Lacrosse his entire life, replacing his father Ray Rostan, who retired at the end of the 2016 season, capping off an incredible 32-year career with the Tigers.
"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to serve my alma mater and our lacrosse program as both have been extremely meaningful parts of my entire life," Rostan stated. "First, I would like to thank Richard Epperson, Director of Athletics, along with Dr. Dennis Stevens, Interim President, and the entire search committee for the opportunity to lead Tiger Lacrosse in the future. I would also like to extend my appreciation to our current team, their families, and our alumni for their support throughout this process. I have been so fortunate to have assisted in every facet of the lacrosse program for the past thirteen years while learning from one of the most respected men in the game, Coach Ray Rostan."
"Our returning student-athletes, incoming recruits, and coaching staff have reason to be excited as we begin a new era of lacrosse at Hampden-Sydney," he continued. "We look forward to playing hard, intelligent, and fast. I expect every athlete in the program to enjoy his experience playing this great sport while working hard to reach our fullest potential as a team."
Rostan has had a strong 13 year run as the Tigers' assistant coach, serving as both offensive and recruiting coordinator for the past eight seasons. He has been a vital part in recruiting and coaching 27 All-Americans, seven Academic All-Americans, 92 All-ODAC selections, and one ODAC Player of the Year. The Tigers have also won 127 games while annually competing in one of the toughest schedules in Division III lacrosse. This past season, he helped the Tigers tie a program record 13 wins – a mark that was set in Rostan's junior season (2002), and tied again with Rostan as an assistant (2010).
In 2007, Rostan was an assistant coach for the South in the USILA Division III North-South Game. Rostan has twice (2010, 2014) been recognized as a finalist for the Division III National Assistant Coach of the Year at the annual USILA Coaches Convention.
As a student-athlete, Rostan earned USILA First-Team All-American honors and was the ODAC Player of the Year in 2002. In 2003, he earned Second-Team All-American honors. He was an All-ODAC selection three times, twice on the first team. Following his final season, Rostan was selected to play in the USILA North-South All-Star game. A two-time team captain and 2002 recipient of Tiger Lacrosse's Howdy Meyers Award for leadership, character, and team MVP, Rostan remains fifth on the Tiger's all-time points list for midfielders with 143 career points. His 2003 senior class, which went undefeated in the ODAC regular season for three years, graduated as the winningest class in the history of Tiger Lacrosse after earning three NCAA tournament appearances and an ODAC Championship in 2001.
In the summer of 2005, Rostan was one of 120 players invited nationally to tryout for Team USA, one of only a handful of Division III players to be invited. In 2007, Rostan was the fifth round pick for the Los Angeles Riptide in the supplemental draft of Major League Lacrosse. The following year, Rostan was the fifth round pick for the Denver Outlaws. Most recently, Rostan was inducted into the Hampden-Sydney College Athletics Hall of Fame in October of 2015, the 14th lacrosse alumnus to earn the honor.
Rostan graduated from Hampden-Sydney in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in history. He currently resides in Midlothian, VA with his wife, Amy, and his daughter, Carter.
--- This release is courtesy of the Hampden-Sydney College sports information department. ---
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